Porch or garden house enclosure



ay 1956 A. ZITOMER 2,745,420

PORCH OR GARDEN HOUSE ENCLOSURE Filed Aug. 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR.

A755 2/ ro/w E6 ATTORNEYJ May 15, 1956 A. ZITOMER PORCH OR GARDEN HOUSEENCLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2. 1951 INVENTOR. fiEE. Z/TOMEE,MEZEMIZI ATTORNEYs United States Patent PORCH on GARDEN HOUSE ENCLOSUREAbe Zitomer, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Alumatic C9!- poration ofAmerica, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August2, 1951, Serial No. 239,865

7 Claims. (CI. 135-1) My invention relates to improvements in porch orgarden house enclosures.

My porch or garden house enclosure provides a dismantleablepanel-supporting frame work and enclosure for the side walls of a porchor garden house and is particularly usable in conjunction with askeleton roofsupporting frame work and fabric roof although mydismantleable side Wall construction need not be supported or braced bysuch skeleton frame Work and preferably is not in contact therewith atall.

Novel features of construction embodied in my invention include asimplified combination of shapes of side wall frame members from which alarge multiple of frame combinations to receive and hold wall panels,door panels and corner constructions may be built up to suit particularoutlines or designs of porch or garden house structures. Also I providea novel combination of skeleton frame work for a canvas or fabric roofwith a seal between the roof and wall; and novel means for dismantleableinter-lock between the screen or window panels and my dismantleableframe whereby the entire section or the intermediate panels may beassembled and disassembled readily and with facility.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective showing my dismantleable wall enclosure and roofin position upon a slab foundation, the shape of the enclosure or gardenhouse being particularly adapted for attachment 'to a building in aporch-like relationship or adapted for independent, self-supporteddisposition without reference to any adjacent structure.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. l,fragmentary portions being broken away to exhibit certain features ofconstruction, the entire view being enlarged and areas being omitted toconsolidate the view as will be apparent from a comparison with Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. l to show my dismantleable wallelements and the tubular skeleton roofsupporting frame work inhorizontal section, the panels and the door being foreshortened and theview in general being enlarged.

Fig. 4 is a section taken in general on line 4-4 of Fig. l and somewhatenlarged.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through my dismantleable wall in whichthe various panels are foreshortened in a manner similar to those shownin Fig. 3. The view is taken of an end wall to exhibit my novel mannerof attachment of such a wall to an adjacent building structure, aportion of which is shown fragmentarily.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2 and shows a lower portion ofone of my panels and the assembly thereof with a base insert, a portionof a base plate in supported relationship upon a slab foundation beingfragmentarily shown.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 1 and shows a detail of thejunction of'a side wall cap with a canvas or fabric roof and the seal inthe inter-structural space between my side Welland a tubular roofsupporting member.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail of a portion-of the roof 2,745,420Patented May 15, 1956 "ice seal and tubular Weight for the seal used inthe interstructural space between roof and side wall according to myinvention.

Fig. 9 shows details of the junctions of structural members showing themeans of securing the structural members together.

My porch or garden house is assemblable upon any convenient base'such asa concrete slab 10 or any suitable surface upon which the sills 11 maybe supported and secured. These sills are H-shaped in cross section asshown most clearly in Fig. 6 and the initial step in building my readilyassemblable and dismantleable enclosure Wall includes the securing ofsills 11 to the slab 10 along a line delineating the bottom of each ofthe walls. I secure the sills 11 to the slab 10 by means of screws 12extending through the web 13 of the H-shaped sill 11 and into suitablefastening sleeves 14 which are embedded in the slab 10.

Extending upwardly from the sills 11 I provide at spaced points any oneof three principal structural elements which may be compared to studs inframe house construction. Representative specimens of these structuralelements are seen in cross section in Fig. 3. One of them is the cornerpiece 20. Another is stud piece 21 and the third is a door frame element22. Each of these is conveniently made as an extruded metal form, but,of course, any manufacturing technique satisfactory to produce thegeneral cross section shown in Fig. 3 is satisfactory provided it formsa deep channel 23 and a shal low channel 24. The form of the door frameelement 22 desirably has an L-shaped cross section due to the provisionof flange 25 to'provide a seat and frame for a door 26. Each door frameelement also has flanges 27 to embrace such a structural member as studpiece 21 and an intermediate channel rib at 28 to be received in theshallow channel 24 of the stud piece 21. (It also is adapted to receiveand interlock with the corner piece 20.) The structural members such asfloor plates 11, corner pieces 20, studs 21 and door frames 22 may beassembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to provide frame openings for panels38, or doors 26, the reception of which .into the wall structure will bedescribed below. Then along the top margin of the complete wall is a cap31 which is very deeply channeled at 32 and is provided with a wideshallow channel 33.

In Figs. 2 and 9 it will be seen that it is merely necessary to cutawaycertain portions vof structural members 20 and 21 so as to leave atongue 34 receivable either in one of the channels formed by the H crosssection of plate 13 or in the deep channel 32 of cap 31. Any suitablemeans may be used for securing this tongue 34 in a channel, as forinstance by pin or screw 35.

The construction of panels 33 is described more completely in my UnitedStates Patent Application, Serial No. 728,229, filed February 13, 1947,now Patent No. 2,630,891,, issued March 10, 1953. It is sufficient tostate here that the side frames 38 of these panels are channeled at 39so that screening of any suitable character at 40 may be held in placeby retainer wire 41 pressed into the channels 39 to lock the screenmaterial 4i) in position.

My panel material 38 is receivable either in the shallow channel 24 ordeep channel 32 of cap 33. In each of the deeper channels such as 23 or32, I provide curved plate springs 45 secured at one end of each springby a drive screw or rivet 46 and there are sufiicient of these springsto exert suflicient bias against a'margin of a panel 30 to assure a firmseat of the opposite side of the panel in a shallow groove 24. Each ofthese panels, when assembled with the remaining wall structure is thrustlaterally into a deep channel 23 and then is placedin position so thatthe springs 45 may :press it into the opposite channel 24. The panel issufliciently short so that there is no complication with respect to thecap 31 and floor thrust upwardly'into the deep channel 32 of the cap 31,where it is held against the bias of the springs 45 While .aninsert 47is placed in position as seen most clearlyin 7 plate 11. The a 'panel,after insertion laterally as above described is then when the cornerpieces and intermediate pieces are assembled upon the floor plate 11. Asindicated in Figs. 2 and 9 the ends of the lengths cut for the cornerpieces and intermediate pieces are cut away with an ordinary hack saw toprovide the tongues 34 to be received in the upper grooves of the sills.If the sills are to be secured to the slab 10 suitable holes are drilledfor this purpose and screws 13 are used as indicated above.

The tongues 34 for suitable corner pieces and suitable intermediatepieces are'then set into the upper groove'of the sill and the cornerpieces and intermediaterpieces are 7 supported in a vertical positionuntil the tongues in the From the abovedescription it will be apparentthat l which may be supported, for example, on a more or less permanentskeleton frame, on which the roof may be rolled up like an awning ifdesired, or from which the roof is readily removable, and the enclosingknock-down wall structure is likewise removable with facility when itbecomes time to dismantle the structure for the winter.

The permanent frame may be of any desirable construction. For purposesof illustration here I have shown a row of stanchions or posts 55 whichare set slightly inwardly from the wall. "These posts are used solelyfor the support of the roof, the wall being self-supporting. Thestanchions carry any suitable number of rafters 56 spanned by the rooffabric 57. Where weather conditions require protection against rain, therafters 56 may be inclined as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. Desirably theyproject over the knockdown wall'structure and are connected along theeaveby a frame member 58. "Ihe present invention is not concerned withthe manner in which this permanent skeleton frame is erectedf Therefore,it is merely for exemplification that the frame pipesar'e shown inwelded connection.

The marginal portion of the roof canvas 57 hangs over the eaves at 59.Any gable-like areas, such as 51 in Fig.

' l are closed by the canvas as shown in Fig. 7 at 61 and the rafter 56at the; end of the enclosure may be positioned di- 7 rectly over cap 31as shown.

To make, the space between .thecap 31 and the frame member 58 overrafter 56 insect-proof, I sew a flap 70 to the canvas 57 at'71 justinside the frame member 58 or sew a similar flap 72 at 73 somewhat abovethe line of the cap 31. This flap is continuous along the roof margin orabove the cap 31 and provides a hem at 74 for thereception of a weighttube 75-which is ofsuch size, when encompassed by the hem 74, that itmay rest in the channel 33 of cap 31. I

Of course, where the flap is used in conjunctionwith a set of rafters56, the flap is notched as at 76 in Fig. 8 so that the rafter may passand be embraced by the. flap.

In conjunction with such'rafters 56 the flap falls between the raftersso that the discontinuous hem 'may be disposed below the. rafters beforethe tube 75 is inserted in the hem. Thus the flap comprises a seal.

the door 26 and the door frame. Panels .30 adequate to close thedelineated wall space are prefabricated. and disposed in readiness to'be-insertedin'the' proper grooves upper ends thereof :are inserted intothe deep downwardly facing channel 32 of cap 31. Pins or screws 35 areinserted to hold these tongues in'theirrespective positions. The spacesbetween the corner pieces and intermediate pieces are then ready forclosure by panels 30, which are inserted into the deep channels againstsprings 45 and then slidably moved laterally into the; shallow channels24 as above described. j

The doorway is framed bythe door frame members 22, which need, not becut as in Figs; 2 and 9 to provide tongues 34, since the door frame.pieces 22 are supported against lateral displacemenfby an intermediatepiece 211 received directly in the channel of door frame piece 22 asdescribed above; One of the door frame pieces is provided with suitablehinges 80 secured thereto and secured to door 26 .by screws or othersuitable fastening means.

If, as indicated at 81 in Fig. 5, the porch or screen. en-

closure is to be secured toa building 82, one of the sill channels isused as an upright member 110 securedto.

the building in the same way that the sill 11 is secured to the slab 10.ceive a side of a standard panel'30 (see Fig. 5).

The parts and pieces described above are particularly adaptable to manyand diif ering physical environments and adjoining structures since acorner piece 20 and intermediate piece 21, a sill 11, or a door frame 22or any combination of these may be.used to independently erect or toattach my novel structure to any type of architecture.

is assembled against thebiasing springs 45 in a deep groove and thenmoved'laterally into the shallow groove at its opposite side. V

When the wall hasbeen erected weightjt'ubes 75 may be received in thehems of the flaps and in the channel 33 of the cap:31; and the roofed,screened andsealedstructure is ready for use; Also it is readilydismantleable by reversing the process described above, although, ob-

viously the rskeleton frameformed by stanchions 55 and rafters 56 willnormally; berleft upon the slab for future;

use.

I'claimm 1 r m 1. In a structure of the character describedincluding awall,- askeletonized stanchioned and raftered shelter independent ofsaid wall, said shelter having a flexible roof coveringprovided withahemmed-flap, and a weight-meme ber carried by the hem and restingbygravity'againstthe top of the wall, whereby said wall, flap,andcoveringcm operate to constitute a closure for said skeletonizedshel-.

ter. 1

2. The structure of claim .1 in which the wall is providedwithanupwardly facing channel and the weight member isreceived.inlsaidchannel'whereby the flap is in sealing relationshipbetween the Wall and covering; 3. The structure-of claim 2 in which theshelter is pro vided with an 'eave, saidflapbeing secured to thecovering in spaced relation to theeave of theshelter and the rafterextends to said cave, the flap being along its hemmed edge -to pass'therafter.

It thus provides a shallow channel to re notched 4. In a structure ofthe character described, a raftered frame work having an eave, a wallbeneath said eave and having a cap provided with an upwardly openingchannel having a bottom and side flanges, a room surface upon saidraftered frame work and a flap secured to the the roof surface andpositioned to depend therefrom, said flap being provided with a hem anda weight in said hem, said weight being receivable into said channel toengage the hem with the channel bottom and a side flange thereof to sealthe flap to the wall.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said flap is secured to the roofsurface between said surface and the rafters, said flap having openingsaligned with said rafters between said hem and said roof surface throughwhich said rafters extend, said hem being discontinuous through saidopenings to permit hem portions between rafters to be lowered below thelevel of the rafters for engagement with the weight and channel.

6. In a building structure the combination with a skeletonized frameproviding support, rafter and cave structure, of a flexible web ofroofing spanning the rafter and eave structure and having a dependingmargin, an anchorage flap connected with said Web, and a weightconnected with said flap for tensioning said web independently of thefree margin thereof, and a wall independent of said frame, said wallhaving a top edge channel to receive said weight and coacting with saidflap and web to seal said frame to said wall.

7. The device of claim 6 in which the said flap has a hem through whichsaid weight longitudinally extends and which encloses the weight withinsaid channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,409,316 Smith Mar. 14, 1922 1,660,933 Obergfell Feb. 28, 19281,716,764 Carrigan June 11, 1929 1,777,028 Berbeck Sept. 30, 19302,057,252 Sink Oct. 13, 1936 2,199,127 Clearmont Apr. 30, 1940 2,270,348Rumney Jan. 20, 1942 2,326,549 Miller Aug. 10, 1943 2,448,895 LawrenceSept. 7, 1948 2,571,846 Giallerenzo Oct. 16, 1951

